


on motherhood (and those that are loved)

by tinycutefauna



Series: One Piece One Shots [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Dadan-centric, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Motherhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinycutefauna/pseuds/tinycutefauna
Summary: Dadan never wanted to be a mother. She never wanted to be anywhere near kids at all.-A story on how family isn’t necessarily voluntarily found
Relationships: Dadan & Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo
Series: One Piece One Shots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898179
Comments: 10
Kudos: 76





	on motherhood (and those that are loved)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Same Difference](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3568457) by [Beyond_Kailani](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beyond_Kailani/pseuds/Beyond_Kailani). 



> I was rereading Same Difference because I’ve been thinking about Ace and ASL for the last week or so and this line addressed to Ace caught my attention: “Dadan kept you alive but she didn’t raise you” and that’s what inspired this piece

Dadan never wanted to be a mother. She never wanted to be anywhere near kids at all. When Garp had abandoned Ace with her, she'd done her best to keep the baby alive but she didn't know how babies worked. Sometimes, she forgot she was a woman at all.  
  
She'd meant to be there for the kid somewhat. Yeah, he was a brat and he was cursed but he was still young and vulnerable. But years had passed quicker than she thought they would and he turned from a baby to an angry child she didn't know what to do with.  
  
When Garp came a second time to drop a kid off, she had been furious. Not that Garp would listen but she didn't know how children worked! She had kept Ace alive but he had basically raised himself. Luffy, however, needed people.  
  
She was lucky that he had latched onto Ace rather than her or her bandits. If they killed each other, it would be one less brat for her to deal with. At least that’s what she told herself, even as she ordered her men to treat Luffy's injuries after Ace had hurt him once again.  
  
And then, somehow, they picked up another boy as well and there were three menaces around the place bothering her at odd hours. Kicking them out to their treehouse brought back peace she hadn't felt in years. She didn't know how to be a mother. They were better off without her anyway.

Still, going to save them from the fire felt natural and when Sabo left... Well, even if she wasn't their mother, she was allowed to cry at the injustice of a brat dying like that, wasn't she?   
  
Despite them looking Ace and Luffy after the fire, the boys never really fully returned to the bandits. She would sometimes take a walk around at night just to make sure they weren't dead but they raced about the jungle freely like monsters and survived and _lived_. She tried not to wonder if perhaps it was her that had needed them.  
  
Years later, when Ace set out at sea, she definitely didn't cry at his parting words. She also definitely didn't save his wanted poster that came out a while later for her to look at and for Luffy to marvel over when he visited them every now and then.  
  
And some years after that, she definitely didn't cry at Luffy's parting words either. It wasn't like she had ever raised the brats. She wasn't their mother, even though it felt oddly lonesome without at least one of the brats bothering her.

She did laugh at Luffy's wanted poster - though she definitely didn't save it. It looked like Luffy would never grow up.  
  
She wasn't laughing when the news about Ace reached her.

Dadan had never wanted to be a mother. And now, for two of the brats who had been under her care, she never would be.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to reach out to me on Tumblr/Twitter anytime (I’m @tinycutefauna there too)
> 
> Kudos and comments (even just a <3) are always appreciated!


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